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Classification: Query
Message Board URL:
http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/Yi.2ADE/509.1.1.1
Message Board Post:
Pam,
I am sorry to hear you are not pleased with the help given to you from the librarians at
the PCPL. I think you need to understand two things:
1) Major cutbacks have been made at the library. See the below articles.
2) You are not the only one researching ancestors in Porter County.
I visit this library frequently. They are indeed being stretched to their limits. I
think it is unfair of you to criticize them. If you wanted a reference for someone to
help you with your research, you should have requested one or searched the internet
yourself for one. The man you were referring to has had a rough time lately. Within the
year he lost his father, his mother has had major surgery and he himself has had surgery
on his eyes.
Everyone can learn a lesson here - don't criticize unless you know all of the facts.
If you don't know the facts, find out what they are. This is a major flaw of the
"All About Me" attitude of the current American society.
http://www.pcpls.lib.in.us/johnsonarticle.html
Additional Reductions
For the Porter County Public Library System
April 19, 2002
Don Johnson, Director
The Porter County Public Library System, which includes the libraries in Hebron, Kouts,
Portage, South Haven, and Valparaiso, has already cut $293,881.00 from its proposed budget
for this year. This has resulted in the 2002 budget being $120,000.00 less than the 2001
budget. These cuts have included the discontinuation of the Bookmobile service, staff
layoffs and a hiring freeze that have resulted in 11 less staff, salary freezes which
meant no salary increases for staff this year, and a cut in the materials budget of over
$100,000.00.
Now the library system is faced with the possibility that National Steel (which recently
went into bankruptcy) may not pay their property taxes this year. In order to prepare for
this possible shortfall of $165,000, the library has frozen the materials budget
completely. This means no new books, videos, cd’s, etc. will be ordered. The only
exception will be a small number of new books, which may be obtained with gift funds that
have been given to the library. So, patrons coming into the buildings will probably begin
to notice that the latest books and videos they want are not there. While a few items in
high demand may be purchased with gift funds, the waiting list for these items will
probably be much longer as multiple copies will not be available as in the past.
The library system would like to encourage the community to consider giving to the library
new books that they may have purchased but have now read. New audiovisual items would
also be appreciated, as the library will not be using the limited gift funds to purchase
these materials.
The library system greatly regrets the need to make such cuts but is obligated by law to
not spend more money than it receives.
ALSO,
http://www.thetimesonline.com/index.pl/article?id=11733839
Library cuts services, employees
Bookmobile casualty of tough financial times in Porter County
BY ROBIN BIESEN Times Staff Writer
Posted on Wednesday, January 30, 2002
VALPARAISO -- Tough financial times are going to mean an end to the Porter County Library
System's bookmobile service and the layoff of six employees.
A series of economic hits capped by the bankruptcy filing of Bethlehem Steel Corp. and the
company's subsequent failure to pay $94,000 in property taxes in November has meant
the library board has had to retool its 2002 budget.
Cline said the library was notified last week by the Department of Local Government
Finance -- formerly the State Board of Tax Commissioners -- that it would have to shave
nearly $300,000 from its 2002 budget.
In order to bring the budget to the $3.098 million mandated by the state, Cline said the
library eliminated salary increases for 2002 and will not send staff to professional
meetings this year.
In addition, the library is cutting back on its professional affiliations and will not
send worn-out materials to a bindery for repair. The library no longer can afford to send
overdue notices or hold notices to library patrons, either.
While he and the board consider the cuts permanent for now, Cline said he hopes the
county's financial picture will improve.
ALSO,
http://www.pcpls.lib.in.us/newsarticles.html
Post-Tribune March 21, 2002
Library gets a big snow job
Porter County libraries won't clear walks, lots until there’s 3 inches of snow
By Coty Miranda Garbison
Post-Tribune Correspondent
Patrons of the Porter County Public Library System may have to endure more than an
extra inch of snow on the sidewalks and parking lots if National Steel’s Chapter 11
reorganization mirrors Bethlehem Steel’s.
The Porter County Library Board pondered possible cuts to hours and personnel in its
five branches if the $165,100 owed the taxing unit by National Steel doesn’t come through.
“If Bethlehem Steel isn’t paying, my suspicion is National won’t either,” said Jim
Cline, Porter County Library’s Assistant Director. “I’m the eternal optimist, but even
I’m being beaten down.”
Exacerbating the potential grim future were the cuts already instituted this year by
the library system.
According to library director Don Johnson, more than $293,881 was already cut from the
2002 budget.
Sliced were $100, 006 in library materials and $102,000 in salaries. 10 staff
employees were laid off, staff raises were curtailed and the Porter County Bookmobile was
sidelined for an indefinite period.
Smaller money-saving moves were also put into effect, including the shoveling of snow
on sidewalks and parking lots at the three-inch level, rather than the prior two-inch
accumulation.
Johnson told board members that the county auditor’s office might know National
Steel’s plans by mid-April.
“There are a lot of unknowns at this point in time,” said Cline. “The potential
problem is we might have to come up with $165,000.”
Among the possible changes considered by the board were rotating a day off at the
branches, reduction in hours of operation, or, if necessary, staff cuts.
“My feeling is I would rather see employees’ hours cut back than losing them,” said
board member Darla Block. “You have to realize they might not come back.”
ALSO,
http://www.pcpls.lib.in.us/pcplsnewsletter.htm
Relatively Speaking: Notes from the Genealogy Department
It has been a hectic time for the department. We have had some changes in our staff. As
Connie Gearhart resigned at the end of April to become a dispatcher for the Indiana State
Police Department and Pat Walker has been off with a health problem. As a result, the
remaining staff has worked many strange hours and been assisted by other departments
lending staff to cover some hours.
The Technical Services Department is continuing to clean up cataloging problems among
genealogy books and also continuing to enter census microfilm into the library card
catalog to allow the public to search what materials are available.
The 1930 Indiana and Illinois census records have arrived while the other states of
Wisconsin, Michigan, Kentucky, Ohio and Pennsylvania are supposed to arrive by the end of
June.
Larry Clark is in the process of indexing the 1930 Porter County census. No index has been
done for any of the northern states for 1930 unlike the 1920 census which was completely
done as part of the WPA project during the depression.
The other ongoing project for the department involves indexing obituaries from the
Vidette-Messenger microfilms. The years 1967-1979 are included in the genealogy section
of the library web page on the internet.
Larry Clark spoke at a woman’s support group called Picking Up the Pieces on May 24th and
at a workshop for the Rensselaer Library on May 29th. Future talks including speaking at
the Northwest Indiana Genealogical Society on July 20th and having a Beginner’s Workshop
at the South Haven Library on August 24th.